On Dec. 7, actor Cha Tae-hyun opened up about the laugh-so-you-don't-cry realities of co-running an agency with close friend Zo In-sung, sharing how most incoming calls are about Zo, his approach to acting after 30 years in the business, and a tease of his role in Disney+ 'Moving' Season 2 on the YouTube show 'Yojeong Jaehyung'.
Appearing on the web variety 'Yojeong Jaehyung', Cha gave an update on the company he and Zo launched together. "Our company is just four actors and four managers," he said, adding matter-of-factly, "We're not trying to scale up. We earn and pay our own salaries among ourselves."
He said the agency started with a simple goal: stick together for the long haul rather than chase something grand. "About four to five years ago, In-sung and I joked—half serious, half not—that once we're older and don't need a big company, we should try running one ourselves," Cha recalled. "When In-sung's contract ended, the timing lined up and we actually did it."
But stepping into the CEO chair came with unplanned headaches. "When the phone rings, eight out of ten calls are about In-sung—his schedule, condition, even his headspace," Cha said with a laugh. He added that people often call him out to meet, only to talk solely about Zo. "In those moments, I end up going myself and turning things down on his behalf," he admitted. "That's the CEO's job. Sometimes someone has to be the bad guy." Afterward he tells Zo, "I had to pass on something because of you again today," and Zo always answers with a grin, "I'm sorry, hyung."
Cha also laid out his clear-eyed acting philosophy. "On set, the most important thing is your scene partner's acting," he said. "No matter how much I prepare, if my partner comes in differently, everything shifts." That's why he only marks his own lines and doesn't blanket the script in highlighter. He added, "I can't do full-on method. If I try, Cha Tae-hyun eventually pops out. Instead, I pull the role toward me and make it mine. I call that the 'Cha Tae-hyun-ification.'"
Marking his 30th debut anniversary this year, Cha said his outlook on life has changed. "I used to live by plans. Now I live with the fun of wondering, 'What will I be doing next year?'" he said. "Expectation has trumped ambition."
Toward the end, Cha dropped a behind-the-scenes tidbit about his next project, Disney+ 'Moving' Season 2. The character with lightning powers—absent in the original webtoon—was personally suggested by creator Kang Full. "At first he said I'd be 'shooting lightning,' then later he went, 'Let's dial it back to static electricity,'" Cha laughed. He added that one day he hopes to set acting aside and try focusing solely on directing.